The Button
by ricecooker2000
Summary: It was a match made in hell, doomed to fail, and devil had a cruel sense of humor. Set in an alternate universe. Shikamaru x Temari x Ino? [Oneshot]


**Disclaimer:** Do not own Naruto characters.

**The Button**

"Nice shirt."

"I guess so."

"What? No girl asked you for this?" she laid a finger on the second button from the top, and a coy smile curved her lips. He smirks back, enjoying the game.

"Well… today of all days, girls have been giving me the cold shoulder. I wonder why?" He quirks an eyebrow at the playful blonde standing in front of him.

"It couldn't be because some… desperate girl threatened to cut their hands off if they dared to lay a hand on me, would it?"

"Now, now. Let's not flatter ourselves too much, ne?" she purrs back, tugging at the tightly-sewn button all the while. He grabs her wrist suddenly, and leans forward ever so slightly. His expression becomes dead serious.

"Temari, don't play games."

"But you enjoy games don't you?" she accuses him lightly, her teasing grin never leaving her pretty face. He scans her features, looking for something. Anything. But her face is empty, devoid of a single clue.

Shikamaru loosens his grip. He sighs resignedly.

She is always so troublesome.

Although she's three years his elder, she still insisted on coming to her youngest brother's graduation. After all these years, he still couldn't understand.

Why his eyes sought her out amidst the crowd. And why their gazes meet so easily, even if they're at the opposite ends of the room. Why those jade eyes sent a cold shiver through his body, even though the packed room is stifling heat.

With that one look, he knew she would seek him out. She was always straight forward in that regard.

So that's why he went into the school's garden, knowing its tall hedges would discourage prying eyes. And just as he predicted, she followed him. And here they are, surrounded by green shrubbery,face to face. And alone.

He doesn't want admit it. But he still thinks of her at some time. True, their relationship back then was unorthodox. Her, the sophisticated, sexy senior, and him, the scrawny, lazyfreshman who skipped a grade because of his test scores. But regardless, mutual attraction and raging hormones persuaded the two to abandon reason, and take a chance. It was a match made in hell, one that was doomed to fail, and the devil had a cruel sense of humor.

That year held a lot of firsts for him.

First girlfriend. First kiss. First fight. First time getting beat up by Temari's punk brothers after their breakup.

And he swore that day, it would be the last time he would involve himself in such a complicated relationship. Such a simple guy like himself cannot handle all that again.

Up until this moment, he thought he could actually hold his oath.

But with this girl, no, this woman, who had grown even more attractive in these years, and who is pulling insistently on the ivory white button on his shirt with two slender fingers with that mysterious smirk on her unforgettable face, he can feel his resolve slipping.

The hand that was pushing her hand away moves over to cup her chin. He slowly leans towards her face. Temari closes her eyes in victory.

"Shika! Choji was talking about going to that Korean barbeque place afterwards and- Oh!" Ino stops short as she catches sight of her classmate. He immediately releases his hold on her, and draws back. Temari, not surpisingly, didn't even flinch.

"You!" She stares open-mouthed at the older woman. "What the hell are you doing here!"

"I could ask you the same thing. This isn't your graduation kiddo," Temari drawls as she turns back to face the silent male, her grip on his shirt front unrelenting.

"I'm a good friend, of course I would come to Shika's graduation!" The blue-eyed beauty retorts, flipping her hair in challenge.

Ignoring her completely, Temari leans in closer and softly whispers into Shikamaru's ear.

"Just a good friend eh? Then she won't mind if I do this?" Before he could react, she bends down to his shirt front, and with her sharp teeth, bit free the resilient button, which she has been loosening all this time. Shikamaru freezes in shock at this blatant display of ownership. His mind faintly registers Ino's indignant gasp and Temari's face beaming with triumph.

"Let's talk again. When there's fewer distractions," Temari whispers seductively, with the button still hanging from her mouth by a string. The older girl strolls leisurely away, indifferent to Ino's menancing glare.

----------

"Shika-kun, home already?" Yoshino Nara's voice drifted from the kitchen.

Shikamaru quietly shrugs off his coat and kicks off his shoes and answers, "Yeah, is there anything to eat?"

"But why so early? Weren't you supposed to be with Choji and the others at the restraurant?" His mother emerges, wiping her hands on a dishtowel.

"Yeah, but Kiba and Naruto started fighting over who gets to sit with Hinata, and Ino was being really troublesome during dinner. So I just decided to leave early," he said as he struggles with the dark green band around his neck.

"Ah… here let me help you," his mother slowly begins to undo the Konoha graduation tie that hangs stubbornly onto Shikamaru's neck.

"Hmm… That's strange…"

"What is?"

"Your shirt is missing a button. Weren't you the one that told me yesterday to sew them on extra tightly? And it still didn't work," Yoshino sighs with exasperation. Finally done with the obstinate tie, she turns around and heads back into the kitchen.

Shikamaru smirks as if sharing an inside joke.

"It worked fine."

* * *

Sigh... yeah. I'm sad and pathetic. Just trying to get over a mild writer's block. 

Truthfully, I actually don't know what the significance of the guy giving a girl the second button... lol, but according to the chinese drama I'm currently addicted to, it has a romantic meaning to it. Anyone who would care to enlighten me, please do. And while we're at that, I do not know why Shikamaru's mom doesn't know the meaning behind it, maybe she's just ignorant of stuff like that.


End file.
